Projects Suffer From Lack of Staffing, Resources

While stripped-down staffing and an overall commitment to do more with less is nothing new, many workers are struggling to get anything of value completed on time, according to a recent survey from AtTask. They're too often assigned to tasks that don't contribute to organizational strategies, findings show, and then they're constantly interrupted or asked to shift gears in mid-stream. Meanwhile, a failure to fill vacancies and provide needed resources is also taking a toll. "More often than not, workplaces are overrun with chaos, which turns into 'work hell,' " says Bryan Nielson, CMO at AtTask, which specializes in enterprise work management solutions. "It's the result of anything from poor visibility across teams to out-of-sync collaborative tools to a simple breakdown of communications processes. With the right balance of technology, tools and revamped processes in place, organizations can work smarter and more productively, while also boosting morale across their teams and improving work-life balance." More than 525 workers took part in the research. For more about the survey, click here.

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Sidetracked Workers

38% of employees say the work they perform relates to overall company strategy no more than one-half of the time.

Juggling Multiple Tasks

43% say their priorities get changed at least every week—if not every day—requiring them to drop a project and pick up another.

Not Clearly Defined

One-third indicate that it's not constantly clear to them as to how their work is measured, or how their boss defines success.

Roll Call!

32% say they work in a status update-driven environment, instead of a collaborative one.

Unnoticed, Underappreciated

One-fifth say they never get praise or recognition for the work they do, and an additional 31% say they receive this once every fiscal quarter, at best.

Too Many Interruptions

35% say work is delivered late because there are too many interruptions in the office.

A Lack of Tools

33% say they can't turn in assignments on time because they don't have the required resources on hand when they're needed.

Stretched Thin

One-half say there aren't enough people on staff at their organizations to get all of the tasks finished without working overtime, and 28% say they work at least 50 hours a week.